Breaking The Habit
by Emerith
Summary: This is the continuation of ‘Swinging Door’, consider that story a prologue. This is Hector’s story. His past, his life, how he got to be where he is. Chapters will be short, but packed.
1. Chapter 1

_Category:_ Angst/Adventure/Romance

_Pairing:_ Hector/Steph/Lester

_Rating:_ R to NC17. Language, sex, violence and general adult themes.

_Disclaimer:_ Not my characters, not making anything off of them.

_Warning!!_ This story was not devised by Happy Fluffy Plot Bunnies. It was instead tortured and taunted with things we shall not mention here.. both painful and pleasurable. These Bunnies had fangs. Touchy subjects will be broached before we reach the last hurrah. Some days you may want a box of tissues, others a bottle of Woolite. There will be the presence of Slash (M/M) eventually, but proper warnings will be given with each chapter. If you do not read the warnings and ratings on each chapter, I will not be held responsible.

_Author's Notes: _ Because I am the whitest of white girls, Hector's story, unless otherwise noted in parts, is being told in English. Just think of it this way, because we're viewing the story from Hector's POV, _He _and therefore _WE _can perfectly understand what he's saying, no matter the language barrier. Also, all sections in _Italics _are flashbacks.

The title is borrowed from a Linkin Park song

While it is in no way a song-fic, their music did indeed lend a lot of muse, and emotion to this story.

Thank yous must go out to Rena, for being the wonderful you that you are. I also have to thank all of the ladies that were in the PerfectlyPlum chatroom back in November who encouraged me to run with my idea to make Hector NOT gay, (This stigma of his has eaten at me for over a year) something I'm very proud he allowed me to do. Even if Smutcember got in my way and I had to wait forever to finish it.

I'd really love to hear what everyone thinks, questions, comments, concerns. I live for feedback.

**  
Breaking the Habit**

1

I laid in my bed, staring across the mere inches of sheet to the amazing woman who had virtually fallen into my arms tonight. And across her shoulder at Lester's quietly sleeping form.

Stephanie lay there, looking perfectly at peace in her sleep. The slightest smile gracing her lips as my hand continued to trace patterns across the smooth skin of her stomach. I couldn't seem to keep myself in check. The urge to run the pads of my fingers across her smoothness was too much, I wasn't bothering to try fighting it.

I could count on one hand the number of women I had slept with since I lost my virginity nearly a decade ago. Sex with a woman was a significant thing to me. Not something I entered into lightly. Which probably didn't help to curb the rumors that I was flamingly gay.

I knew some day it would happen though. I would get caught up in some woman and lose my better judgment. I never thought that woman would be Stephanie Plum.

Sex with guys was easy. Emotions never came into the equation, the guys I ended up with were all too macho and pedantic to allow for that to happen. They were always easy on the eyes, but that didn't make the long days any less lonely.

Lester, he was a different story all together. We had randomly been sharing each other's beds for a few years now.

Ever since we'd been caught with our pants around our ankles and our dick's out in Lester's apartment by Ranger that one time, we didn't see a sense in hiding our proclivities. Even _**He**_ couldn't fight the temptation of spreading the news of what he'd walked in on to the rest of the core team. And it quickly made it's way through the rest of the Rangeman Vine.

It's not like there was any exclusivity between us, we'd often end up going home with other people, every now and then, we'd both go home with the same person. But we frequently turned to eachother when the need for release wasn't being met elsewhere.

I'd like to think that over the years, as we've gotten to know eachother better, our friendship has gone to new levels, but I wouldn't want to presume that Lester's thoughts ran along the same line as my own. I certainly considered him to be closer to me then any of our other fellow Rangemen, probably the only person to truly know me at this stage in my life. But there was still so much even he didn't know.

I closed my eyes and my hand stilled as I drifted off to thoughts of how I got to be here.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Four years ago, when Ranger found me, I was a snot nosed punk, walking a fine line along the edge of my own humanity.

I already had the blood of more then a few people on my hands, and not in the 'morally right - legally grey' way that most of Rangeman operates.

My first kill was made purely from the need for survival, but it was what eventually led me down a path that could have ended my life very easily at every turn.

The single Teardrop on my cheek was a constant reminder that those deaths couldn't even all be blamed on a reckless youth as a gang member. Only kills made in the service of The Almighty Nation earned you ink.

The rest of those deaths.. They might have been avoidable in some way. But being the person that I was, I wasn't capable of seeing those ways. Thanks to Ranger, and the training he gave me, I can now.

_I'm not that person anymore._

OoOoOoOoOoO

_When they found me, I was out celebrating my 21st birthday at your everyday shithole corner bar in my native Latin Kings territory in Newark. _

_To this day I thank the Fates that that night ended the way it did, and not the alternative. _

_Me and three of my Hermano's sat around a table in a dark back corner of the room. Directly next to the back exit, just incase. One second we were talking big shit about our plans for the next weekend. The next second I'm trying not to shit myself at the feel of a cold gun barrel pressed to my temple, and the chillingly deadly voice that accompanied it._

"_If you know what's good for you, you will all put your hands slowly on the table. I have men positioned around the room to take out every one of you if you so much as twitch in a way I don't like."_

_In the warped glass of the mirrored wall across from me, I got the shady impression of a large man in all black. And what looked like a snub-nosed H&K P2000 pressed against my head. There's no way to survive a temple shot of any kind, let alone from a gun of that magnitude. I saw no option other then to quietly lay my hands on the table top and just hope my drunken friends would see the hopelessness of our situation. _

_As some of the top ranking members of the Pantera Tribe of The Almighty Nation of Latin Kings .. They weren't always willing to back down so easily._

_Santiago, Rufio, and Lope slowly brought their own hands up onto the table. I nearly breathed a sigh of relief, but the gun to my head still wasn't moving. _

"_I'm going to take a step back. I want you to stand and place your hands on your head. No quick moves." The voice continued behind me in that same chilling monotone._

_I wanted to argue, I wanted to find a way to turn this around. I knew both were futile and would very possibly shorten my life span. So instead I slowly got to my feet, keeping my hands out in front of me so no one was likely to get the wrong impression._

_A black man the size of a refrigerator box stepped from the shadows of the back door. Again I chomped down on the urge to fight back as he took my hands from my head and handcuffed them one by one behind my back. _

"_Seems you missed an appointment in Trenton, Hector. Vincent Plum has asked us to escort you back into the legal system." The mountain of a man rumbled down at me. _

_Suddenly I was grateful I was only going to jail and not going to be locked in a room with this behemoth and the stone scary mother fucker who'd pressed his piece to my temple. I'd rather take my chances with the inmates then these two guys. At least in jail my reputation might save me._

_What I didn't know was that a few days later, that same stone scary man would save my life. As well as throwing it into a 180 degree tailspin that would lead to cleaning myself up permanently._

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

_Category:_ Angst/Adventure/Romance

_Pairing:_ Hector/Steph/Lester

_Rating:_ R to NC17. Language, sex, violence and general adult themes.

_Disclaimer:_ Not mine, not making anything.. Other then myself giggle.

_Warning!!_ This chapter rated for language, violence, and … shit guys this is me, just expect the worst.

_Author's Note: _I am a consummate dumbass. The opening of this chapter was supposed to be the lead out to the last. Would have had a hell of a lot more impact had I left it there too. sigh  
Thanks to everyone for the reviews! Hector says Gracias.. And.. Not to lose faith in him.

**Breaking The Habit**

**2**

I pulled myself from my memories as I felt Stephanie stir beside me. My eyes opened to find her just beginning to twist and thrash in the empty space between Lester and I.

My hand had long ago stopped it's ministrations to her soft skin and fallen away to the mattress between us. As I watched, Lester rolled to his side, scooting forward across the bed until his body lay in a tight line against Stephanie's back, one well defined arm coming around to rest low across her abdomen. Steph's wiggling and whimpering came to an abrupt end and her eyes stopped doing the silent rumba behind her lids. Whatever had been pursuing her through her dreams had been chased away by Lester's soft touches.

I felt something crack and soften inside at the sight before me. I had gone so many years without a single person who could even get past my exterior long enough to know _me_, to _want_to know me. Now two people lay across from me that I could physically feel myself wanting to open up to, to bring into my world.

I didn't know what to do with that.

I didn't understand how the life I've led could have brought me to such a fortuitous place. No one who's seen and done the things I have should be afforded such luck.

And yet there they were. Plain as day before me. It looked like my life was once again about to undergo some heavy alterations. Hopefully it will once again be something that makes me a better person. For these two people, I think I would like to be a better person.

OoOoOoOoOoO

_I spent a day and a half in that shitty holding cell in Trenton's Police Department before someone bailed me out. _

_I'd only been nailed for an underage DUI, a month shy of my 21st birthday. _

_We probably shouldn't have been in Trenton at all that night, but Rufio's stupid idea that the pussy in Trenton was better then Newark and the vat of alcohol we'd imbibed, played a big part in the decision. I was designated the driver for that trip, and ended up the only one not released with a warning. I was also the only one with visible gang tattoos in the car that night when we got pulled over. Go figure. _

_I sat in the same stupid cell for two days that time before my Hermano's bonded me out through some rinky dink local outfit. I was told a court date, and sent on my merry way back to Newark and my job as 'Collection Agent'. _

_Attending the court date had never been in my plans from the start. That hadn't stopped them from bonding me out this time though._

_OoOoOoOoOoO_

___The same weasel faced, greasy Bondsman was standing in the lobby signing off on my bond as I was brought out. I wasn't worried about his name, I had no intention of returning to Trenton anytime soon, had no plan to ever need his particular services again._

___As he led me from the station, he explained to me that he had an associate he'd like me to speak with before I returned to Newark. _

___I didn't think anything odd of the request until we stepped through the doors into the parking lot. Across the lot, leaning against the front grill of a large black truck, was the man in black from the bar. He had brought me in. He must be the associate this weasel wanted me to talk to._

___I thought I did a good job of masking my apprehension as we made our way across the lot. _

___The weasel's nasally voice kept going, but my mind tuned him out. Focusing instead on the steady bass line I could hear spilling down the road from some blocks away. I knew that bass line. _

___We were six feet from the front of the truck when the music reached critical mass and I turned to watch the vehicle cruise past the station._

___It was almost a second too late that I heard someone yell "Down!" and I recognized the man hanging out the window of the car, with a gun trained on me, as Rufio._

___I felt the weight of another body slam into mine, dragging me to the ground with a grunt and a crush of muscle. _

___At the same time I was slammed with the knowledge that my oldest friend, the one person in this world I trusted above all others was firing a gun at me. _

___For seemingly endless seconds the world continued on without me. I was stuck in the world of my past, where the only people Rufio and I counted on were each other. That world was shattering beneath me as I hit the pavement that day. _

___I lay there dazed, heedless to the action taking place around me. The man who had knocked me to the ground was now crouched beside me in a well trained firing stance. Firing shot after shot into the rear fender of my fellow Latin Kings quickly departing car. _

___I did eventually notice his hand waving in front of my face as he offered me help up off the ground. I waved his hand out of the way and gingerly got to my feet. Slowly shaking my body out as I went to make sure everything was still where it belonged. Knowing that now more then ever, I could only rely on myself. I was truly alone, again. _

___I met the eyes of the man who had brought me here in the first place, and then thrown himself between me and a bullet for no logical reason that I could see. _

___In the brighter light of day, it was obvious that he was of some Cuban descent. His posture and presence screamed Military of some sort. Some highly trained sort. I'd bet my money that just the aura of control and power that this man oozed was enough for him to bring in criminals without even needing to pull his gun. No wonder they sent this guy for me._

___Despite, or maybe in part because of, that edge of 'Don't fuck with me' in his brown eyes, he was a rather attractive person to look at. _

___His coloring was a slightly darker version of my own, and his body was certainly kept in tip top shape. But that wasn't even it. His bone structure was something else entirely to behold. Long toned legs, long nimble fingers gripped the gun he had lowered to his side. My eyes traveled up a well defined torso to a set of shoulders that were wide enough to take the globe off Atlas' hands. The corded muscles in his neck disappeared into a mass of straight, shiny brown hair that looked just ever so slightly too short to be pulled back out of his face. His face.. It could have passed for any of the finely detailed sculptures I'd glimpsed on that last school field trip.. Before everything went wrong._

___His entire demeanor was… aloof. Withdrawn. There was the man, but.. It wasn't truth. Such control. You would never see something in this mans face that he didn't want you to see, that he didn't put there himself. And there was no way to know if it was real, or a part of the mask. What the world sees is merely a two foot thick wall he places between himself and the world. I never figured out if that was for his protection, or for the rest of us. _

___His eyes stared back at me with not quite masked curiosity when I finally settled on them. He was obviously a dangerous man, but I wouldn't hesitate to look him in the eye. Now of all times I had to prove that I was in control of myself, of my destiny. I would not back down to this man. No matter how dangerous he may be. _

___I was near shocked when the corners of his mouth twitched up and he extended the hand that wasn't tucking his gun back into a holster out to me in greeting. I took his hand in my own, shaking it firmly as he spoke._

_"__My name is Ranger Manoso, I have a proposition that might save your life if you're interested in taking a ride with me." The corners of his mouth had relaxed from the trace of a smile he'd nearly had a moment before, and he was suddenly all business._

___Shit. Ranger Manoso. THE Ranger Manoso. This week just couldn't get any more fucked up for me. Or so I thought._

**___OoO _****To be continued **OoO


	3. Chapter 3

_Category: _Angst / Adventure / Romance

_Pairing:_ Hector / Steph / Lester

_Rating:_ This chapter is NC17.

_Disclaimer:_ Not mine, not making anything. Just expanding on JE's characters.

_Warning!!_ This chapter contains SMUT. Of the regular everyday variety.. Well.. Ok.. There's nothing regular or ordinary about this man.. or this particular experience, But it's just sex. So.. Warning for anything up to and including two people having a naked moment… well… ok.. A naked, thrusting moment. (just so you all know, I really hate giving stuff away like this, I personally think it's a part of the story that should be read inline just like everything else, not given away at the opening, and enough warnings were given already, but for the sake of no one bitching that they WEREN'T warned…. )

_Author's Note: _This chapter isn't really mine.. Hector wrote this one side by side with my Muse, and the two of them showed it to me when they were done. I was rather happy with their combined efforts, so very little was edited. They deserve the credit this time. Thanks to everyone for the reviews!!

**Breaking The Habit**

**3**

I woke abruptly this time, and she wasn't merely having a nightmare, she was slowly sitting up and inching her way down the bed.

I tried not to automatically think the worst, but a small knot formed in my stomach nonetheless. Was this it? She wasn't even going to finish out the night with us?

I had to find out. I couldn't NOT know why she was sneaking away while we were both still asleep.

My hand shot out, snaking softly around her wrist and pulling back, twisting her as she fell so she landed pressed against my chest. Still naked, the mounds of her breasts pressed hot and soft against me and I nearly lost my train of thought.

I reigned myself in and furrowed my brows, trying to question her actions without words so my worry wouldn't leak out in my voice.

A small smile lit up her face and it seemed as if she might know what I was thinking anyway.

"I'm just going to the bathroom quick. I'll be right back."

My own small smile naturally followed hers. Staying firmly in place as I reached up, lacing a hand in the back of her hair, pulling her mouth down to softly meet mine. I kept the kiss whisper soft, tickling her lips with my own, darting my tongue out to gently trace the seam of her lips only to pull back when she opened her mouth to take it further. Soft pecks tapered out until she wiggled herself against my quickly hardening cock. I pulled my mouth away, biting at my lips to keep the moan inside, trying not to wake Lester before I'd finished what I was after. I had to sort this out on my own before I brought my feelings out to either one of them.

Steph sat up slowly, settling in a straddle across my hips, my cock nestled tightly between her hot center and my own body.

"Hold that thought," She whispered into the dark room and then skimmed herself across my length a few times before sweeping her leg over my hip and rising to her feet beside the bed.

I laid there slightly dumbfounded. Watching her hips sway as she crossed the floor, only drawing my eyes away when the sterile white of the closed door replaced the view of her lush backside.

Was it possible that she really _was_ crazy enough? Was it possible that all the crazy Burg that went into making her who she was, might have made her capable of wanting, of loving, someone like me?

I'm not sure how to be certain. Not sure how to find out without putting myself out there.

We'd been spending a considerable amount of time together since Ranger had gone in the wind two months ago. She seemed to be getting more comfortable around me. Even going so far as to fall asleep curled in her seat during a stakeout two weeks ago. No one has shown me that level of trust, other then Lester, in a very long time. No one else I know would have allowed me to watch their back while they slept. I considered it an honor.

But I never would have expected the type of reaction she had to seeing me earlier. Especially since everyone in Trenton besides Lester thinks I'm a gay gang banger who probably kills people for fun.

I'm not.

But it seems like somehow these two people could make me happy. Whole.

The squeak of the bathroom door reopening drew my eyes up just in time to catch a glimpse of Stephanie surrounded by a glow of light for the merest second before she flicked the switch off and slid the door shut again. I blinked rapidly, tucking that image away in my mind for a lonely day in case this didn't go the way I nearly prayed it would.

Her naked body bathed in a light from behind that had I not known better would have seemed like it came from nowhere, and everywhere, and Stephanie herself. Her face looked ethereal in the shadowed glow, her blue eyes standing out like pinpoints of glass colored with the deepest sky, her smile etching her cheeks into deeply rounded orbs lit with a dark shine of color from her modesty. I couldn't help but wonder for a moment if this trait was a reason for the Plum name. I wanted to trail my lips over them. The light struck out through rings of curls in varying size as they danced around her head. Her hair trailed down to lay dark against her pale shoulders, the longest tendrils brushing against the tops of her breasts. Tight pink nipples giving away her desire. I would keep that picture with me forever. Lester was right. She was a work of art.

I opened my eyes to find her halfway to the bed, hesitating, her eyes locked on my quickly rising erection. I couldn't help it. That image of her in the bathroom doorway was enough to make me hard with one glimpse.

I held my hand out to her, hoping to encourage her to rejoin me in bed. I really did not want her to leave now. Right now there was only one thing I wanted to do. I raised my eyes to hers, hoping to show her just how much I wanted her here.

"Steph," My voice came out lower, harsher then I'd intended it, my throat dry and tight from the heat in my veins. The heavy roll of hard practiced Spanish accent playing behind her name before I could control it.

Her hand slid into mine, and despite our closeness in height, her hand was tiny inside mine. As I pulled her down across my chest where she'd been before I took a moment to appreciate the contrast between our skin tones. She literally brought light to my darkness as her breasts spilled across my chest, rubbing the bars in my nipples back and forth through their holes, causing half the nerves in my body to stand up and dance.

I settled her hand on my chest, over my heart, and ran my own hand back up her arm, across her shoulder and down her back trailing my fingertips down her spine to settle cupping her ass. Her skin was so soft I couldn't think of a way to describe it. The only other thing like it I'd ever felt was the velvety smooth steel of Lester's cock in my hand.

Ironic. Two such similarly different people Lester and Stephanie were. Two completely different personalities, but the traits they did share they were vehement about. Both strong-willed, defiant and independent. Both willing to go to the ends for someone they care about. And they both woke something inside of me that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep locking back up afterwards.

I trailed my other hand back up into Stephanie's hair, tugging her down so my face was buried in the side of her neck, hair tickling my face as I inhaled her scent deeply. I felt her lips slide tentatively against the skin of my neck and goose bumps instantly broke out across my body. I couldn't see how anyone, any experience, could compare to having her here in my arms, willing and delighting in my attention.

Her hand pinned between us couldn't have missed the fierce pounding my heart was doing inside my chest. My hand tightened on her ass, rubbing her tightly back and forth across my cock, slicking myself with her juices as we moaned into each other's necks.

My tongue flicked out, grazing her shoulder before my lips settled on it. Trailing them softly up her neck, nibbling her earlobe softly between my lips, the tip of my tongue snaking out to dart into her ear for the quickest second. She ground against me at the sensation and I felt myself throb against her center, feeling the thrum of precum as it leaked from my tip to join her wetness. Causing a groan to rumble up out of my chest. I wasn't going to be able to take much more before I had to bury myself inside her.

"Mmmmm your moans may be one of the sexiest things I've ever heard." Steph's voice was throaty and loose, like the words had tumbled from her mouth unknowingly. The things that voice and her admission did to my body and my mind, were unexplainable. I suddenly felt a freedom I'd never felt before. A lightness. I could put myself out there. Even if she didn't want me as much as I wanted her, she still _wanted _me.

I dragged her head back so that I could meet her eyes. Deep blue sapphire orbs, lust and maybe even something more looked back at me from those drowning pools. I was going to take my chances.

I kept my eyes locked with hers as I touched my lips to hers again. Softly, slowly, sliding my lips back and forth across hers until they parted with a sigh. I closed my eyes as I slipped my tongue gently between her lips, curling the tip to run it slowly across the inside of her lips and around each cheek before running over her teeth to meet up with her tongue.

While our tongues coiled, twisted and weaved together I slid my hand from her hair down and the one from her ass upward. Meeting at her hips I slid her far enough up my body to rest my head at her opening.

I reluctantly eased out of the kiss, bringing my eyes open to hers again, I played my final card.

"I could fall in love with you Stephanie." It was honest, it was the truth. Just admitting it to her made something shift inside me.

A small gasp broke from her lips and her eyes widened at my words. I dragged her hips back down against my own again, driving upwards at the same time, thrusting all the way inside of her in one long stroke before she could open her mouth and shatter my heart.

Her gasp turned over to a shouted moan and she convulsed around me, her muscles clenching at me, begging me to go over as an orgasm washed over her body from the force of my entry. I held on, the muscles in my legs tensing near the point of pain as I fought not to cum. The way her body responded made everything in me want to hand myself over to her.

Her eyes had never closed, but the dark clouds that had settled over them as we rubbed against eachother had lifted a little, leaving a gleaming shine in her beautiful eyes. They brightened even more as her mouth tilted up, rounding her cheeks again, bringing the smile all the way up to her eyes.

"Without a doubt, I can easily see myself loving you Hector." As her voice and breath slipped warm across my face her hand come up to cup my cheek, one finger slowly tracing the teardrop beneath my eye.

Something that felt shockingly like a real tear slipped from the corner of that same eye and I wasn't sure if my heart would explode out of my chest or shoot at a deadly speed straight out of my cock.

Before either one of us could think another thing about it, I sat up. Bringing her legs back around my hips and tucking my feet under her ass so I was sitting Indian style in the middle of the bed. She groaned at the change in position but held on anyway. She hadn't seen anything yet.

I slid my hands up her thighs, squeezing softly at the muscles beneath, massaging them as I went. I continued up, rubbing deeply at the crease of her thighs until her lips slid wetly beneath my fingers, brushing my cock as it sat lodged inside her. I slid my fingers higher, trapping her clit between the pointer fingers of both hands, sliding it tightly back and forth while my thumbs circled her entrance and my cock until I felt her muscles begin to tremble.

I slid my hands slowly around her hips to her lower back, ignoring her frustrated groans when my hands left the holy ground, teasing her spine as they traveled upwards. Finally settling with my arms wrapped up her back, hands splayed wide over the tops of her shoulders.

I found her eyes again as I slid slowly back to the brink of slipping out and quickly, before gliding back in, I pulled back on her shoulders, sprawling her upper body back over my lap.

Her eyes fell shut and her mouth fell open but the only sound that came out was a squeaked gasp.

The trembling in her muscles started up once again and I continued my thrusts. Slowly sliding out before sliding back in deep in one thrust. By the third thrust I'd found the rhythm, as I slid back in the head of my cock found added pleasure as it rubbed across that little bundle of nerves that makes up the inner clitoris known as the female G-spot.

Steph's moaning raised a note, coming closer to a high pitched keening as the head of my cock stroked over the most sexually stimulative part of her body, driving her to a vicious need for release.

My body gave in and picked up the pace. Quickening the rhythm until one hand was gripping her shoulder and the other was twined in her hair, bending her head back and arching her back even further. Her breasts bounced in front of me as I stroked out of her hot wetness only to slam back in, roughly driving the ridge around the head of my cock against her opening with each pass. The heat in my body was rising to a dire level, everything in me burning to match the heat of her walls wrapped so tight around me.

One of Steph's hands slid up from the mattress, across her body to rest where we joined. One fingernail dragging against my cock as I plunged in and out of her. Slowly that finger slid upward, spreading our wetness around her clit as it peaked out of it's folds pleading for someone to douse the flames.

That sight was all I could take. I felt every bit of flame she'd lit inside me shoot straight for her. Ripping through my body in a rapturous blaze as I pounded into her before pouring out of me like lava to coat Stephanie's throbbing walls.

I barely felt her fly over the edge with me. My breath had left me the moment I felt my balls tighten. Blue spots dancing before my vision until I regained control of myself.

When I stared back down at her there were wet trails on her cheeks and a faraway look on her face. I froze in horror, unsure of what I had somehow done wrong. I went to quickly pull away but her gasp stopped me. Her eyes suddenly cleared and she was once again looking at me with that beatific shine.

"Please.. Don't move just yet," her breath still came in short pants between her words. "That was… that was.. I don't know a word for what that was… I'm just not ready to admit it's over quite yet."

My heart soared. This could work, but I'd have to tell her everything. She was such an amazing person, just maybe she could still find a way to love me, even knowing who I am.

I pulled up on her shoulders, wrapping my arms around her and holding her tight against my chest. My face buried itself in her neck again and she returned the gesture. The feel of her breath against me as she inhaled my scent, the same way I'd done to her what seemed like hours but was only minutes ago, sent a shiver down my spine.

"Hermosa," I whispered in her ear, "We need to talk." I pulled back to judge the reaction in her eyes when I continued. "I don't want this to be casual, I want you to be more then that to me, to us." I slid my eyes towards Lester's form across the bed. This time he stared back, eyes heavy lidded from sleep and passion. I had no idea when he'd woken, but I was glad he would hear this too. "There are things about me you both need to know, things I don't want hidden from you. Before you decide how far you want to go with us, I want you to know _me._Do you understand?" Please God, please let her be the person I hope she is. Let her understand why I had to do the things I've done in my life.

Her teeth slid out to snag her lower lip, worrying it as she nodded her head gently up and down and then slowly slid herself from my lap. She made her way back up to the pillows and I joined her, steeling myself against what was coming.

Across her shoulder I watched Lester's eyes clear to a sudden seriousness that wasn't often found in them. He nodded tersely at me before wrapping his arm back around Steph's middle and settling in against her back to listen to my tale.

I decided to start where my mind had picked up earlier. Where Ranger had come into my life. Here goes nothing…..

**OoO To Be Continued OoO**


	4. Chapter 4

_Category:_ Angst / Adventure / Romance

_Pairing:_ Hector / Steph / Lester

_Rating:_ R to NC 17 (MA - LSV)

_Summary: _Just who IS Hector?

_Disclaimer:_ Miss Evanovich owns them, I just play with them. (and they like it)

_Warning!!_ Nothing really worrisome in this one but some language and a vague inference of wanting someone.

_Author's Note:_ Glad everyone's enjoying. Thanks for the awesome reviews! They keep Hector happy, and me writing. Chapters may slow down to one every other day this week.. Blame my DH, he bought a Wii. Me & Hector are gonna go jam out to Guitar Hero. ;-

The song for the next chapter or so is: Linkin Park - What I've Done

**Breaking The Habit**

**4**

I couldn't think of a better way to relate my story, so I simply retold the memories that had resurfaced as I lay here with them earlier. My eyes flitting back and forth between their faces as I explained how Ranger had found me in that bar. Steph's eyes lit with mischief when she realized I'd been Ranger's FTA. I tried to enjoy it while it was there, that mischief and innocence wouldn't last for too much of my history.

Lester laid at her back, looking calm, he already knew this part of the story. He was there in the bar that night, gun trained on one of my friends, ready to end their life if they made the wrong move.

Even then he wouldn't have shot to kill unless he felt there was a real threat. He'd told me so himself nearly a year ago, but that's a different story.

Lester was much the same person now as he had been back then. He was a good man. He also carried one trait a lot of other Rangemen could relate to. Myself included. He was a man of many masks. Lester's public face was the sexy playboy, but there was a lot more to the him then just that façade. I knew he was a college graduate, who went on to join the SEAL's before Rangeman, and was damn good at what he did. That's it. No details. Even as well as I did know him, that's all I knew of his past and it had taken years to learn even that. The real Lester was just as silent and withdrawn as I was.

The mischief in Stephanie's eyes turned to an outright laugh at my description of the greasy weasel who'd bonded me out. I guess that meant she wasn't offended by the familial disgrace.

Her laughter died quickly as the bullets started flying. Steph's just like that, she doesn't like her friends getting shot at. Even now, years after the incident, you can see worry etched in her features. Worry over a man she hadn't even known at the time. Nothing could possibly outshine this woman's soul.

I stopped for a breath in the same place my mind had left off earlier. Rolling my shoulders to release some of the tension before continuing on with my story. Knowing that this was where Steph would really start to find out just what I'd been involved in when Ranger found me.

"What did Ranger want? He always wants something." Steph's voice was quiet, barely making it to my ears before the silent darkness of the room swallowed it up. I liked the honesty of that statement. Everyone in this room knew that for the most part, it was deadly accurate. Except where she was concerned. Even those of us who hadn't known Ranger that long saw the differences in his attitude towards his Babe.

I held a finger to her lips to shush her before Question Girl took over. A ghost of a smile floating over me before I continued.

OoOoOoOoO

_I couldn't decide that day whether Ranger was offering to save me from my fellow Latin Kings who had turned on me during my brief stay in Trenton's lockup, or if he was trying to tell me I wouldn't be around very long if I didn't cooperate. I was willing to bet that either one was a feasible possibility._

_I'd heard stories about the great Ranger Manoso. Stories from guys who'd come through from Boston or Miami. Stories about how him and his Hombres were making it rough for the gangs to make a living. Stories that tumbled down from gang member to gang member, both inside prison walls and out, all up and down the East Coast. He wasn't someone I could just ignore if I didn't want to wind up sucking air through a straw. _

_I found myself following his lead. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I climbed up into the passenger side of his truck as he yelled to the cops emerging from the station that he had everything under control. I marveled when they actually listened to him, turning and marching back into the station like so many ants. What did this man have that allowed him to have this much control over Trenton? What was I getting myself into? _

_He slipped into the truck beside me and we drove a quiet, tense ten minutes across town before he pulled into an underground garage. The Haywood offices have changed a bit since then, things were still being settled in and the imposing air that seems to leak from the building wasn't quite fully formed yet. _

_The comm. room wasn't as well equipped, but there were still more then half a dozen men hovering around monitors, talking cases, filling out reports. It was always a hive of activity, even before the cubicles were added and the offices fully outfitted. It was sort of the common room before it was the communications room._

_Ranger led me past a cluster of his men to the bare bones of a conference room. Bobby, Lester and Tank were already there, huddled around one end of the table with sheaves of papers spread out in front of them. _

_I'd spent a lot of years hanging out with some scary street thugs, but being alone in a room with those four men was the first thing since I was sixteen that made me want to pray for protection. Aside from taking them on with my bare hands, I had no way to defend myself against these men if they decided they didn't need me. I had to be realistic, there was no way I could win against these four men. If I couldn't give them what they wanted, I was fucked._

_Ranger directed me into a seat across the big table from the Hombres, taking the seat at the head himself. _

_As he introduced me to the men around the table I took my time taking in each of their appearances. Appearances can tell you a lot about a person, even if they are often deceiving, once you learn how to read people the little tricks don't always work._

_From left to right, the three of them were an imposing wall of muscle._

_Tank, the giant black refrigerator box from the club. He was an interesting comparison in planes and angles. His name was fitting for his ridiculous proportions, you probably could have fit two of me inside him. His skin and eyes were both a rich coffee color, a dark brown, nearly black, the color unbroken by hair anywhere on his visible body. The whites of his eyes stood out starkly, and I could imagine if he'd ever smiled in his life someone had seen a spectacular light-show. He held himself with the same bearing as Ranger, probably the same training. I wonder. If the movable mountain had the same training, then why did he defer to the obviously smaller, and less physically imposing man?_

_Lester was next. They looked like a peanut butter filled Oreo sitting there. And I couldn't exactly deny, even then, wanting to lick the filling out of that cookie. I might have even been willing to nibble on the cookies a time or two since._

_Les hasn't changed much. He sat there in his golden perfection, his hair was such a dark blonde it bordered on brown, hanging much lower then it does now. He'd been forced to cut off a good chunk of it after a skip got him tangled up in some cuffs. He was the amusement before Steph came along. He's kept it shoulder length or above out of practicality since. From the moment I looked at Lester's face, his eyes sucked me in. Such an honestly Emerald shade of green with the lightest flecks around the iris, bordered in lashes that were so long they were nearly feminine. I found myself wondering if maybe Lester wasn't straight as an arrow. He was in good shape, had the same aura of danger as the others, but he seemed slightly softer around the edges, more laid back. Not only did he carry himself in a more relaxed manner, but he played up the asexuality of his features with the long hair. I would have bet money back then that Lester swung both ways, but it was quite awhile before that question would be answered. I also didn't think he had the same training as the other three, not unequal, just different. Lester was Intriguing._

_On the far right was Bobby. Same dark chocolate skin as Tank, but the eyes were worlds different. A bright Amber color with shots of yellow. Black cornrows disappeared behind his head, tiny black rubber bands sticking off the ends at his collar. Someone took a lot of time and care to do that for him, even matched it to his work clothes. His face was very tense, but very blank. Fierce, almost calculating features. If he focused on me any harder, there was a good chance I might burst into flames. The only thing this guy was giving away, was that I was not trusted. That was ok. I wasn't exactly feeling inclined to trust them much at this point either. _

_Lester was the first one to speak after Ranger had told me their names._

"_So who is __**he**__?" His question had been directed at Ranger, and there was a certain measure of hostility behind it. I guess Ranger didn't often leave his Hombres in the dark. Now maybe we'd all get to find out why I was here._

"_Show them." He glanced down at my right forearm and I felt myself freeze all over. _

_He Knew! Shit! The Devil you know, or The Devil you don't? Obviously what I had to go back to wasn't going to get me far, may as well go all in now._

_I slid my jacket slowly off my shoulders, letting it pool behind me on the chair. Slowly, I slid up the right cuff of the white thermal shirt I'd put on under my t-shirt three days ago._

_Three days. Three days since I'd last known something stable enough to shower and put on clean clothes. It had been so many years since I'd had to do that._

_When the cuff of my shirt was as high up as it was going to go, bunched up under my bicep, I turned my arm over on the table, bearing the inside of my forearm to the men across from me._

_Staring back at them was my badge and ranking in The Pantera Tribe of The Almighty Nation of Latin Kings & Queens. A three inch long, highly detailed tattoo of a golden, five pointed crown spanned the width of my forearm. A black jewel inset in each of the five points, designating me as Fifth Crown in my local tribe. The initials P.T, for Pantera Tribe, in bold script across the brim of the crown. Below it, in a thick flowing script, was the name Koa, the middle name given to me by my mother, meaning 'Warrior' in her native tongue. She'd never intended for it to one day become my street name in a gang, never intended for it to be the name of 'The Banker,' who used his blades to be certain no one was late with their protection money. _

_The Pantera's Collection Agent._

**OoO To be continued OoO**


	5. Chapter 5

_Category:_ Angst / Adventure / Romance

_Pairing:_ Hector / Steph / Lester

_Rating:_ R - some not so happy themes, but generally not SO bad.

_Summary: _-Gasp- How will the A-Team take the knowledge of WHO Hector is?

_Disclaimer:_ (The shells of) These characters belong to Janet Evanovich. (Their mental problems are probably my fault.)

_Warning!!_ Some mildly touchy themes in this one. Nothing too major.

_Author's Note: _Here's my big apology to everyone, chapters are going to slow down from here on out because I'm no longer as ahead as I'd like to be. I suggest sending the hatemail to my DH (it's all his fault for buying the Wii) I'll be cutting back to a chapter every other day for now. As always, Huge Thanks to everyone for their awesome reviews!

This is the first chapter so far that's in complete flashback form, hope it doesn't come across too irritating.

**Breaking The Habit**

**5**

_All at once, there was dissension in the ranks. _

_Tank let loose with a giant laugh that I imagine would have fit right in among canon fire on a Pirate ship. I could have spent a lifetime studying this man and never would have predicted that reaction. _

_Lester's head swiveled back between Tank, showing disbelief, myself with a touch of surprise, and finally settled on Ranger. The look he gave his boss had a hint of questioning behind it, but it was already obvious that he was trusting Ranger on this decision. _

_The mask of Bobby's face had cracked far enough for him to raise one perfectly manicured eyebrow at Ranger. _

"_Ranger, man, are you sure about this?" Bobby was definitely not as accepting as Lester. I think it's safe to say this guy doesn't like me._

_Ranger mostly ignored them. Only bothering to pass over them with a glare before focusing his attention back on me. I felt like I was standing in the spotlight in front of a firing squad. This was it. Maybe now he'd tell me why I was here._

"_Do you want out?" Ranger's even voice floated down the table to me._

_I sat there in a dead shock. This was not what I was expecting. Out? Of the Pantera's? No one got out of the Pantera's. Not as long as blood was still flowing in their veins. I'd never considered it. Those were my brothers, my Hermano's. There had been no other family for so long. But now they wanted my head. Could I really do it, could I really break those ties and still walk away with my life? And what about Rufio? What had happened in the short time I'd been locked up for him to turn away from me so far? Could I walk away without him and still live with myself? The questions must have shown in my face, Ranger decided to take pity on me and continue._

"_I can save you from this if you'll help me."_

_Despite the blankness of his face, there was a sincerity in his voice that told me he knew what I was facing. How, I don't know, but he knew. Probably the same way he knew I was Koa. No one but the other four crowns and Rufio knew who I was, or my rank. _

_When my answer wasn't immediately forthcoming, he must have felt compelled to sweeten the deal._

"_I've heard about your reputation with electronics as well as all the other formidable abilities you like to keep hidden. I could use a man with your talents on my crew. My men are well trained and well protected. I'd even go so far as to offer you an apartment in the building, which is completely secure. I can send you away for a few months to train, clean up our little gang problem while you're gone and you can come back to a new life, a job and place to call your own. But I need your help to do it. You are the only person that has the information we need that isn't an obvious part of the problem."_

_By this point I'm pretty sure I'd lost all control over my face and every thought I had was flying by for all to see. And see they did. Every eye in that room was trained on me and the firing squad feeling was intensified to a drastic new degree. _

"_You could be fighting on the side of the Angels this time Hector."_

_How did this man know!? He knew every button to push, every corner to shine the light in. I had a feeling Ranger was the type of man who didn't believe in the word 'impossible'. I'd even go so far as to bet he had a well read copy of 'The Art of War' hidden away somewhere. His tactics were impeccable._

_For the first time in two days I heard the rasp of my own voice, stopping to clear my throat of it's scratchiness before I spoke._

"_What do you need from me?"_

_Ranger inclined his head towards Bobby and without hesitation the man began his explanation. He looked me straight in the eye as he spoke, a fire behind his eyes making their amber color look alive. Whatever it was, it was personal for him._

"_Last week the body of a thirteen year old boy was found in a rundown park on Stark St. here in Trenton. Autopsy showed he had died of an overdose of high-grade Heroin. He was the eighth fatality in the greater Trenton/Newark area in 5 months. Every single one of them had the packet of Heroin on or near their persons when they were found. A nondescript clear plastic baggy the size of my thumb, printed on one side with the head of a black panther and the initials P.T."_

_Shit. I've only been able to live with myself this long by keeping myself oblivious to the extent of the gangs activities. No contact with other members outside the local Crown Council. No knowledge of what services were being rendered that I was collecting for. I made threats in order to carry out my responsibilities, and ensure my reputation, but the occasion where my hand was forced to violence was very very rare. I kept myself far enough out of the loop to not be legally or morally responsible. I chose to live by the belief that they really were just trying to make better conditions for our fellow minorities in our community. It didn't look like they planned to let me continue on that path for long. How can they be bettering our culture if they're killing off our future?_

"_In the time since the first body was recovered multiple organizations, both on the Federal level, and locally have gotten involved, as well as Rangeman representing the private sector. With all of our combined forces, we've only managed to uncover one name. La Araña. But the man isn't a spider, he's a ghost. He may as well not exist for all the luck we've had finding him. We need you to give us La Araña, and as many other members of the council as you can." The fire burning in Bobby's eyes hadn't dimmed in the slightest. There was a good chance that if I didn't help them, he'd grill me alive himself. Not a pretty fate._

_Shit. Fuck. Damn. What a clusterfuck._

_This could either be a defining moment in my life or it could be a lead weight around my neck. This wasn't something I could just decide. This was something I needed to think about, I needed to clear my head and consider the consequences of this. _

"_You're offer is a very tempting one, but I'm not a impulsive man. If it's possible, I'd like to take a little bit of time to think about it. Would you be kind enough to allow me somewhere to shower, maybe some clean clothes and some time to consider my options?" Always have a counter offer prepared. _

_Ranger nodded his approval of my request and then shot his eyes to the other side of the table. Lester was up like a flash and across the room, dialing out from a phone on the wall. My attention was pulled back to the table as Ranger spoke._

"_Lester will take you to an apartment. I'll have clothes and toiletries sent down for you. Someone will stop by in an hour with some food. Take some time, get your thoughts in order tonight. I'll have one of my men come get you in the morning and you can tell me your decision. I do ask that you not leave the apartment unless accompanied by one of us, but should you try, keep in mind that this entire building is under constant surveillance." The end of his speech was punctuated with a curt nod that I quickly realized was my dismissal. _

_Lester had finished his phone call and was waiting for me next to the door. Not a word was exchanged between us as he led me further into their fortress in the middle of the city. Words weren't necessary, there was too much to be thought about. _

_We stopped in front of a door on the fourth floor and he pulled a set of keys from his pocket, unlocking the door before repocketing the keys. He led me into the very same apartment I'd end up still living in four years later, and at the time, all I could think was that I was extremely unhappy that someone else would have the keys to access me while I was sleeping. I always hated that._

_It was a small, simple efficiency apartment. Open floor plan with a couch, coffee table and TV shelf, sans TV, in one corner. The opposite corner held a twin-sized bed complete with blankets and pillows. In an alcove off to the left was a small Kitchen. Your basic appliances, plus an under the cabinet microwave and a countertop Mr. Coffee. Another door next to the kitchen presumably led to a bathroom. Over all it wasn't a bad apartment, sadly more then I'd known or had to call my own in a very long time. The pull to say yes, simply so that I could rest my head somewhere I could call my own, was very enticing. _

_As we stood there in the open doorway the elevator dinged and a small stout looking woman emerged from between the doors before they'd finished opening all the way. Bright, sharp, bird-like eyes were on us as soon as she turned in the hall. She looked old enough to be Ranger's mother, but somehow I doubted that was who she was. She wasn't very commanding, but she carried herself with a tautness and grace that made me think even she too had some sort of training. I doubted very much escaped her attention. _

_She stopped just outside the open doorway, taking us both in before a friendly smile lit her face. Her Hispanic heritage shone in the warmth of her smile, softening her entire face and I was taken back a very long time by the feelings that smile awoke. To a place I'd shut down and locked up years ago. _

_I shook myself out of it as she handed me the black duffle bag she'd carried down the hall with her. _

"_I hope this works for you. It's the standard Rangeman emergency kit. A pair of sweats and t-shirt, thick boot-socks, overnight toiletry kit with the usual trial-size bathroom necessities. This apartment wasn't planned to have anyone in it just yet, so I'm afraid I haven't completely finished things. I'll have some food supplies down in a little while, and if you'll be here long I'll have one of the boys bring a television up for you." Her voice was warm, belying the harsh nearly calculating way she had first taken me in. A very protective nature. She was indeed the Mother to this pack of men, no matter the blood between them. _

"_Th-thank you Ma'am. I appreciate that very much. Don't worry about a television though. I do not know yet that I'll be here long enough to need that." My voice still tumbled rough from my throat. I needed rest, and I needed a damn drink. _

_She nodded, that smile still on her face and turned sharply on her heel, taking herself straight back to the elevator. _

_I turned back to Lester and he was smirking at me like he knew something I didn't. I didn't like it. I wanted to wipe that look off his face, I was just torn about what I wanted to use to do it. In the beginning, I was never too certain if I wanted to use my fists on Lester, or my tongue. _

_He led the way into the main room of the apartment. I dropped the duffle bag on the bed and turned back when I heard the door click shut. Lester leaned against the door, that smirk still in place, quite a sexy picture with all that hair and dark golden skin flashing against the white of the door. Just then I could picture myself dragging my tongue up his body with his fingers digging into my scalp. _

_The image was broken by Lester's 'All Business' voice as he explained how to contact him via the intercom unit attached to the wall beside the door. If I wanted to speak with Ranger any earlier then morning, or had any questions that Lester might be able to answer for me, I was to contact him. Anytime._

"_That's not bad, but is Ranger aware that the software on this particular model actually became outdated three months after it was released to the general public?" I couldn't help myself. Over-rated technology made my head hurt. Some things were really just flash and no bang. _

_Lester actually chuckled a bit before he answered me. It was a deep rich sound, loose and bubbling up from his chest in genuine amusement._

"_I think I see now why Ranger wants you on the team. You could certainly come in handy."_

_He didn't bother sticking around to hear what I had to say. Turning on his heel with just as much determination as the little woman who had come down the hall, he snapped the door open and made his way out into the hall. _

_I stepped up to the door, breathing out a sigh of relief as the lock clicked into place and my forehead made contact with the cool wood._

_Now how in the hell was I supposed to figure this all out?_

OoO To Be Continued OoO


	6. Chapter 6

_Category:_ Angst / Adventure / Romance

_Pairing:_ Hector / Steph / Lester

_Rating:_ R

_Summary: _Hector tries to figure out his options.

_Disclaimer:_ Not mine, no matter how much I might wanna keep them.

_Warning!!_ I really don't think there's anything in this chapter to fear

_Author's Note: _My name is Emerith, and I'm a Guitar Hero addict. Does anyone know of a 12-step program? LOL  
There seem to be a lot of questions about Hector's past and why he ended up with the gang, I promise they will ALL be answered. This isn't simply going to be one story. Habit is actually the first of a multi-part series. So not all questions will be answered in this particular section of his history, but it will all come out eventually.

Enjoy the story ladies, and try not to shoot me for how short it is. Hector insisted it was the proper place to leave it…

**Breaking The Habit**

**6**

I trailed my eyes down from the blank ceiling I'd been staring at while I related my tale, to glance over the faces of my companions.

Lester's face was once again adorned with that smirk, all these years later I fought the same urge to wipe it off his face. Except now I had much more definitive ideas of just which parts of my anatomy I wanted to use to do it. One day I'd find out what goes on in his head when he's wearing that look. The only time I ever know what he's thinking is when he's naked and horny. A raging hard-on is the only part of that man that gives away his secrets.

Stephanie looked almost placid. Too serene to have just learned that a man she'd slept with, a man she was lying naked in bed with, was a formerly high ranked gang banger responsible for taking people's lives. She caught my eyes with her own and offered me a gentle smile.

"I'm not here to judge you Hector. I just want to learn about you. If it's part of what made you who you are today, then I'm ok with it. I like you fine just the way you are, and nothing that's made you that person is going to change my mind. Even if it's hard to say, or hard to hear, it won't change what I think of you Hector. I don't need to love what you've been through to be able to love _You_. There's already enough that makes me want to do that anyway."

Leave it to Steph to get right to the heart of things. I laid my head back on my pillow and resumed my intense scrutiny of the spackle that made up the ceiling. Somehow she knew just how insecure I was about disclosing my past, without me ever having to say the words. She'd be gentle with me, that's just the type of person she is. I should have known she wouldn't pass judgment on me.

OoOoOoOoOoO

_I didn't waste a lot of time feeling sorry for myself once Lester had left. _

_To save myself or not to save myself? I never thought it would be a difficult question. _

_I grabbed the duffle bag that had been left for me off the bed and headed into the door off the kitchen. Bathroom, just as I'd figured. Hospital white, new fixtures, the apartments must be a relatively new addition to the building. _

_I set the bag on the toilet lid and slid the zipper open. A neatly folded pair of black sweats, a neatly folded black t-shirt and a rolled up pair of white boot socks were the only articles of clothing in the bag. Sitting beside the clothes was a smaller, green camouflage toiletry bag. I pulled that out and set it on the back of the sink to sort through._

_A razor. I ran my hand over my cheek, feeling the weeks worth of stubble that had pushed through since I'd last made my appearance a priority. I took the rest of the items from the bag, lining them up along the edge of the sink. Toothpaste, the minty kind. Toothbrush, single wrapped bar of Irish Spring soap, trial size bottles of shampoo and conditioner, trial size Mitchum deodorant and… a condom. If this was the standard emergency bag for Ranger's employees, I could only imagine what a standard day was like. As much fun as ruminating on that right now might be, it's definitely not the best plan of action._

_I turned the sink on and started to work on making myself more presentable. Maybe if I looked a little better, I might feel a little better. I wasn't surprised at the lack of shaving cream in the bag. You can get good at anything if you've done it enough times. Dry shaving was one of those things. When you're often in a hurry and frequently broke, it's just another one of life's little inconveniences. Sometimes you were just grateful for the razor. _

_As the razor stroked my cheek, slowly scraping away the bearishness from the face in the mirror, I took in the man staring back at me. A far cry from the innocent I'd once been. Circumstances had made me what I was. Could I break my mold and make myself something different? _

_Caramel colored eyes stared back at me. My father's eyes. Puffy, dark bags surrounding them from the recent stress. Short black spikes of hair hung down my forehead, greasy and limp from days of not being cared for. Cleaned up it shined in a much shorter, much more stylized cut, but it was still undoubtedly my Mother's hair. The only pieces left of them in this world. _

_I rinsed the razor and stuffed it back in the toiletry bag, running a palm over my now smooth cheeks. The bar of soap was unboxed and my clothes methodically stripped before I folded them, leaving them in a neat pile on the floor beside the door. I slid the door aside and turned the water on. My thoughts turning back to family as I stepped inside and slid the glass door shut behind me._

_My real family had been gone for so long there were days when I hardly remembered them. The closest person to family I had known for years had last been seen firing a gun at me. Were there mitigating circumstances? Could I find some way to forgive that, to get him out of there with me before it was too late? Maybe I could convince Ranger to help me get Rufio out too. He was my brother, and no matter the reason he'd done what he'd done, I couldn't conscionably leave him behind._

_I scrubbed and scrubbed with that little bar of soap. Rubbing away sweat, smoke and beer from the bar, the grime of Trenton's holding cells, the dirt from the parking lot where I'd been thrown to the ground. My head hung and as I watched the dirty water swirl down the drain every last shred of energy I had went with it. I had no ambition left to fight. It would all just be so much easier if it was over. _

_My head dropped forward, my forehead resting against the cool tile of the wall. And as the water ran down my back, for the first time since I'd shut my self down at sixteen, tears leaked from my eyes. Trailing down my cheeks burning me hotter then the water could. _

_After all the years at each others sides. All the horrors we'd endured, just trying to survive. The few genuinely happy moments I could remember in my life that weren't linked to my early childhood, involved Rufio in some way. From the day I'd lost myself, he'd always just been there. We were friends, we were brothers, we were lovers. I loved him in a way it just wasn't possible for me to love anyone else. He was the only one who knew the**Me** behind the masks the street made me wear. He was there to help me make those masks. _

_Ten Years._

_And now he'd tried to shoot me. _

_Had something gone wrong? Were they trying to use us against eachother? Why would he turn against me?_

_Why? WHY? "**WHY!?**" _

_I hadn't realized the scream had actually tumbled form my lips. I hadn't felt my arm move either. Until I felt the impact of my knuckles against the tile to the right of my head vibrate up through my arm, my head bouncing the slightest bit as the tile absorbed the shock. _

_I looked on with detachment, my arm hanging limp at my side as drips of watery red fell from my fingertips to disappear into the drain. _

_Everything was changing and I couldn't get a grip on it. _

_My whole world was going to tilt no matter what decision I made. _

_The only thing I could affect was how much fallout there was, and who it landed on. _

_Those were the thoughts that followed me as I made my way from the shower. Blotting at my hand with the single white towel that had been hung on the rack beside the shower door, as the rest of my body dripped big wet splashes across the floor. _

_When the cracks in my knuckles had stopped spotting I finished drying myself off, pulling on the sweats and t-shirt quickly. Foregoing the socks in favor of surer footing in bare feet. _

_I used the Mitchum liberally, put the toothbrush and toothpaste aside for after I'd put some food in my stomach and didn't even bother to spare a thought to the condom before I tossed it back in the bag. The toiletry bag was tossed back inside the duffle and I grabbed that up to take back out with me. _

_When I opened the door from the bathroom I was immediately assaulted with the heavenly smell of food. I appreciated it for about half a second before my eyes landed on Lester sitting on the couch in the corner of the room. Was there ever a time where his smile didn't come off looking smug? I really did not like other people having access to me. Had there been even a chair, I would have wedged it under the doorknob in an attempt to keep my security. Since there wasn't, and I was for all intents and purposes in someone else's home, I'd have to swallow my pride and fear and play nice._

_I stopped to drop the bag next to the door before I made my way to the half of the main room that served as a Living Room. Lester motioned to the other end of the couch and I complied simply out of curiosity to see what had brought him back here before morning. _

"_Ranger sent me up to talk to you," The amusement dropped from his face entirely as he spoke. The light in his eyes even dimming behind the seriousness of whatever it was that had brought him there. "There was a body pulled from the brush at the side of Route One halfway between here and Newark, about 45 minutes ago. Going by description from the local police bands and the involvement of a Gang Task Force, Ranger's pretty sure the victim is the same man who was shooting at you this morning."_

**OoO To Be continued OoO**


	7. Chapter 7

_Category:_ Angst / Adventure / Romance

_Pairing:_ Hector / Steph / Lester

_Rating:_ R for language and some vague referencing.

_Summary: _How will Hector take the news?

_Disclaimer:_ None of the characters belong to me, they are the sole property of Janet Evanovich, I'm just having fun with them. I promise I'll put them back then I'm done.

_Warning!!_ Have you caught on yet that Hector's history is not filled with hearts and flowers? Good.. If It's bothering you, move along, it's eventually going to get worse.

_Author's Note: _Thank you all for having the patience of Saints. And being insanely wonderful Reviewers! Real life just hasn't been willing to give me the time or patience to write the past few days. Feel free to spank me if it's necessary. It's not all my fault though.. Hector ran away screaming when we woke up and found three little ten year old girls in the living room playing the Wii.. He ran.. I took some Excedrin and thumped my head on the desk. I should get some kinda extra credit for not running.. And Mucho thanks go to the Beta Extraordinaire, who puts up with my insanity.

**Breaking The Habit**

**7**

"_Ranger sent me up to talk to you," The amusement dropped from his face entirely as he spoke. The light in his eyes even dimming behind the seriousness of whatever it was that had brought him there. "There was a body pulled from the brush at the side of Route One halfway between here and Newark, about 45 minutes ago. Going by description from the local police bands and the involvement of a Gang Task Force, Ranger's pretty sure the victim is the same man who was shooting at you this morning."_

OoOoOoO

_Every speck of air in my body left in one giant whoosh. _

_A moment was wasted being grateful that Lester had been the messenger, before the reality of his words hit me full force._

_My body shuddered as my head sank into my hands and images flashed unbidden behind my eyes. _

_OoOoO_

_The day I'd gone to live with Rufio and the others. The way he looked up at me like I just might be his savior. Two days later when I had proven to be exactly that, saving him from a drunken beating from our foster father. Shielding his small frame with my own as the worst of Felix's blows landed soundly on my back._

_The months spent bonding over shared hardships in that terrible place. The day Rufio finally convinced me to run away and become our own family. Those months on the street, relying on no one but each other. Until La Araña found us._

_The small bedroom we'd called our own for so many years after LK took us in. We'd sleep in that small bed curled around each other like animal cubs searching for warmth. Even as we slowly aged from adolescents into teenagers, we just grew closer in that little room. Running our errands for the Crowns during the day, returning to our little hovel to curl into each others arms every night._

_That first trip to Juvie, the first time we were separated. It took so long to get back to him I thought for certain he'd be gone. Lost to me like everyone else I'd ever loved. That was the day I realized that what I felt for Rufio was love, in the truest sense. The day I'd had to leave him behind. Two years, three months and four days they'd kept us apart. When I finally made it back to him, he was different, withdrawn._

_I'd spent two years in my own private hell, and the only thing that had kept me going was the thought that Rufio was being taken care of, that I could someday go home to him. _

_I knew something had happened while I was gone, but no one would talk. Not even Rufio. _

_Now he's gone. And I may never know how they tore us apart._

_Every moment we'd had since then had been equal parts pain laced with pleasure. The makings of nightmares and screaming orgasms alike. _

_We learned how to take another persons life together. _

_We learned how to make each other whimper and scream in ecstasy until there was no choice but to bury ourselves in each other until the focus narrowed down and we were the only ones left in the world. But the world always came back with a vengeance. And the last few years it seemed as if every time we collided with the real world again, Rufio left a little piece of himself behind. He just hadn't seemed whole anymore._

_I couldn't save him._

_OoOoO_

_When the memories finally eased their grip on me, I raised watery eyes to meet Lester's sympathetic green ones. Leaving me to wonder how much of what I'd just relived had been obvious._

_"I'm sorry. I didn't realize he was a friend." A genuine edge of guilt traced his voice._

_I shook my head, clearing my throat of the emotion that clogged it before I tried to explain._

_"It's ok. There's no reason you would have. He **was **shooting at me earlier. It's just..." I trailed off, not knowing how to explain the dynamic of my relationship with Rufio. I lifted my eyes to the ceiling for a moment, hoping to find life's answers there. When I found Lester's face again he was offering me a small smile, and encouragement shined from his eyes like the beacon of a lighthouse. I suddenly wanted to tell him every bit of my grisly history. Thank God for self-control._

_"If you don't want to tell me that's fine, but I'm interested enough to listen, and it might be easier if you got it out." He looked so genuine and honest sitting there on the other end of the couch. What harm could it do?_

_"His name was Rufio. He was my Lost Boy." A sad smile flitted across my face and somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear his voice as he explained his namesake to me. "He was my friend, my brother. My Lover. Rufio was the only family I've known for a very long time. We were each other's everything for so long."_

"_I'm so sorry….. Koa." He hesitated over my name causing me to drag my eyes to his again. Catching the light of shared sadness behind them told me he understood exactly what I was trying to tell him, on a personal level. I couldn't stop myself from wondering who had been lost to him. _

"_Hector. My name is Hector Aguila." I held his eyes as the truths continued to pour from my lips. "Only the streets call me Koa."_

"_Hector." He tested my name on his lips, rolling the 'r' on the end the way it was supposed to be. And I hate to admit even now that it sounded good. Damn good. Still does. "But why? After so long, being so close, what could make him turn on you like that?" His voice sounded just as puzzled as I felt._

"_I don't know. The only logical solution I can come up with is that someone wanted me gone, and they managed to hold something over Rufio's head to make him do it. His death.. This soon.. Has all the signs of an LK drop." Once again my head hung in sadness as I contemplated what those bastards had done to the man I loved. This was the final cut. There was nothing left now to tie me to them. They had taken what I loved from me and now I had no reason not to take them apart piece by piece._

"_That's fucked up."_

"_Yeah. No shit."_

_We sat in silence for a few long minutes. I didn't know what he was thinking, but me, I was trying to imagine a future without Rufio in it, and damning LK for making me face it._

"_Tell your boss I've got his answer for him. It's up to him if he wants it tonight, or if he still wants to wait until morning." My voice stayed surprisingly steady as I told this virtual stranger that I was about to drastically change my life forever. It made sense. Everyone I'd ever cared about was among the Angels now. I may as well start fighting for them. What better way, what better reason, to turn my life around could there possibly be?_

"_Don't worry about it tonight man. Ranger's offer will still be there in the morning." The words tumbled slowly from his lips as he rose and made his way to the door. Catching in his throat like there was more he wanted to say but wouldn't allow himself to. _

"_Thank you Lester. For telling me, and for listening." Hesitant, quiet. It wasn't often I entrusted as much information about who I truly was to another living soul. Rufio was the only other person that knew just how deep our relationship ran. Sharing even that little with Lester hadn't been planned.. But it had felt right as it came out of me. Like he understood what I meant. How I felt. There hadn't been much of that in my life before._

"_Honestly Hector, it's no problem. I don't mind listening, and you seem like you could use a friend. My offer from earlier still stands. If you need anything at all, you can contact me with the intercom, I'll be in my apartment the rest of the night. I'll come by in the morning with some breakfast and then we can go talk with Ranger. Your secret's safe with me." He stood in the open doorway just long enough to see my nod of agreement before turning and quietly shutting the door behind him. _

_OoOoOoOo_

I was once again torn from my recollection by Stephanie. This time she wasn't trying to get away, she had simply settled her hand on the back of my wrist, her slender fingers stroking gently back and forth across my skin.

I lowered my eyes from the ceiling to meet hers and found a sadness that hadn't been there last time I looked, a wateriness around the edges.

"I'm so sorry you lost him." Her voice wavered, as if she'd actually felt the pain I'd suffered at losing him. I wanted to comfort her. I wanted to NOT be the source of her sadness. I brought my other arm around, settling my hand over hers where it laid on my wrist.

"It's ok Hermosa, I haven't lost him. He's always with me. Right here." I brought my hand back from hers, laying it on my chest over my heart. "And here," I said, rolling to my stomach.

It was only a moment before I felt Lester's fingers gently running down my back. Tracing languidly over the letters of Rufio's name, twined in thick black ink throughout the wings of the tribal angel tattooed on my back.

There were other names woven in there as well, but those were other stories and Stephanie wasn't ready to hear all of that just yet. It would take time and a lot of explaining, but if things kept going like this… I held out hope that maybe she really would understand, and maybe even love me for who I am after all.

**The End**

A/N 2.0: Please don't shoot me!! It's not really _over_. Habit is just the first in a series of stories that map out Hector's past. The next installment has been promised by the man himself, since it was his insane idea to leave it where we did. So… hate mail, questions, and marital requests can all be directed Hector's way…


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